Lone Wanderer's Lament
by Bad l'Cie
Summary: "Sometimes the air feels as cold as death and I need the heat of a fight to pull me out my void of despair." Aurora is a dark individual who resides in Vault 101 with her father, James. When he leaves, she feels that she doesn't belong there anymore and follows him out. She doesn't realise that outside there is a whole world of pain. (Follows Fallout 3's main quest line.)
1. Dangerous Infatuation

**I do not own Fallout 3 **

* * *

_A villainous smile curves his sweet lips,  
His hands show his evil intentions.  
Whilst he spit like a venomous snake,  
His fangs strike me.  
Voices come at me from all directions;  
He's dangerous! Stay away from him!_

_Nay, nay... I won't stay away,  
The oceans in his eyes have me hypnotised.  
I hit the ground,  
And as always, I crawl after him.  
The more he creates blotches of purple,  
The more I want him._

_Pain is the chemical I cannot live without,  
Only administered by him and him alone.  
Infatuation is for the other sweet maidens,  
Not I, not I... I am addicted.  
My yearnings grow and I cannot control myself,  
My forbidden fruit is always out of reach._

_Stay your hand from the others, sweet serpent,  
Batter your loyal servant instead, let her suffer!  
As you stand unaware of your perfection,  
You mingle with the lusty maids who want only a single use.  
Let me worship you for eternity, my lord,  
I would not worship any other god than you._

_- A.D._

* * *

Amata and I wandered into the cafeteria only to find all of our classmates there. It seemed like we weren't the only ones who wanted to come down here after the G.O.A.T.. The Tunnel Snakes all sat together in a booth and the others sat at the counter. Amata pulled me into the booth next to theirs. Wally walked over and placed his palms on both sides of the table. He looked over at us and wiggled his eyebrows.  
"Well well, if it isn't the vault's only daddy's girls?" He asked with a grin.  
"Go die in a hole Wally." I said and brushed my hair behind my ear. His smile dropped and Amata tried to bite back a giggle. He stood up, straightened his jacket and stalked off towards the gang next to us. We burst into laughter as Wally began to complain about me.

Butch came over with his hands in his pockets and he stood at the table. We composed ourselves and stared at him blankly.  
"Watch what you say to my fellow Tunnel Snakes, nosebleed. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of the most dangerous gang in Vault 101." Butch snapped.  
"You mean the only gang in Vault 101? You guys are a bunch of pansies. You don't even do anything normal gangs do. The only weapon you have is your switchblade, and that thing is too dull to even cut butter, let alone flesh." I replied with a smirk.  
"Aurora, stop it. He's dangerous. Stay away from him." Amata said and nudged me in the ribs and I let out a chuckle.  
"I am the undeniable serpent king. Are you threatenin' my rule?" He asked.  
"Wow, you know a big word! That's great!" I replied with a condescending tone. He scowled at me and then crossed his arms.  
"Claps for Butch!" I exclaimed and clapped in his direction. Amata and I switched seats so that I was closer to his wrath and that she was further away. He leant down towards me and I couldn't help but to smirk. I enjoyed being in the front lines bearing the brunt of Butch's anger.  
"Listen up, pipsqueak. I'm already pissed off by that stupid test. Don't make me beat you up again today." He hissed.  
"What? Is the big bad hairdresser gonna give me a bad haircut?" I mused and playfully pouted.  
"Watch it Dangerfield!" Butch snarled.  
"You know I love a fight. Bring it on DeLoria." I replied with a grin. I stood up and ruffled his hair. He slapped my hand away and pulled out his comb. I laughed as I watched him fix his hair.  
"Touch my hair again and you'll die, bitch." He snarled.  
"You know what? I think I might." I replied and went to touch his hair again. I laughed as he batted my hand away with his comb.  
"I'd hate to send you home with another bloody nose, Rory." Butch said. I cringed as he said that. God, that nickname peeves me off.  
"You're too chicken to hurt me because I'm the only person who's ever stood up to you. And that irks you. The only person who has the balls to stand up to you is a girl." I said and pushed him with one hand. He pushed me back and I hit my back up against the table behind me.  
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" Our spectators chanted from behind the safety of the booths.

I cracked my knuckles and stood away from the table. He chuckled and balled his hands into fists. The rest of our classmates ran to Amata and they all stood behind the booths to be safe as spectators to the fight. I snorted through my nostrils and then charged at him. He grabbed my weak excuse for a punch and smacked me across the face. I tried not to focus on the sting as I ripped my hand out of his and backhanded his cheek.  
"Come on Butch! She's easy!" Wally exclaimed.  
"Go Aurora! Kick his butt!" Susie yelled. The two siblings then eyed each other for a moment before turning back to us. Butch's fist connected with my jaw and I yelped as I rubbed my chin. He smiled smugly and shook his hand. Our classmates continued to chant that same word over and over as I dodged one of his punches and elbowed him in the stomach. He groaned and buckled over as he grasped his stomach and winced. I jumped on his back and wrapped my elbows around his throat.  
"Get off me Dangerfield!" He exclaimed and I gripped his neck tighter.  
"Not a chance!" I shouted over the chanting bystanders. He grabbed my arms and pressed his shoulder against mine before he swung me over his back and my back smacked against the floor. He stood up and chuckled as he dusted off his hands. The Tunnel Snakes cheered as he went towards the booths to showboat about his so-called 'victory' against me.  
"And that's how you do it!" He exclaimed.  
"Way to go Butch!" Wally said.  
"You the man!" Paul said.  
"You tried your best Aurora." Amata said from behind the booth. Her voice was shaky. She of all people knew that I wasn't going to let him win. There was no way I was going to walk away from this the loser. I fought back tears and winced as I forced myself up from the ground. I focused on his back and noticed that he was standing before a booth.

Before anyone could move, I charged at Butch and tackled him onto the table. Everyone exclaimed out of shock and they started chanting again. I gripped the collar of his jacket with one hand and then I punched him with the other. He grabbed the hand that held his jacket and tried to shove me off. I went to punch him again, but he deflected my blow and then elbowed me in the stomach. I fell to the ground and groaned as I clutched my belly. He rolled me onto my back and pinned me to the floor. The chanting got louder and louder as he grabbed my hair and held my head down at the ground.  
"Give up!" He exclaimed and smacked me across the face.  
"Go to hell!" I snarled and struggled to get up from the ground. He laughed at my futile attempts to escape his iron grip and punched me again. I smacked my forehead against his and I groaned as my head began to pound. He let go of me and held his own head as I sat up. I shook my head and then punched him. He fell backward as I pounced on him and held his shoulders against the floor. He easily overpowered me and punched me in the nose. Blood began to stream out of my nose and I wiped it away. I held my fists up to my face as I braced for another attack. I ducked under his next punch and went to elbow him in the groin. He jumped back and then kicked me down. He held me down as he hammered me with punches. He kicked me in the stomach and then chuckled as he walked back to his gang. The Tunnel Snakes cheered as their king strutted back to them victoriously.

I groaned and curled up into a ball. My heart was thumping in my chest. I let my tears trickle down my face as blood continued to flow out of my nose. My body ached and my lungs were tight in my chest. I couldn't breathe, it hurt to breathe. I closed my eyes and whimpered as my entire body shook violently. I found the strength to wipe my tears away and I managed to crawl over to the bar stools. I clutched the bars tightly and used it as support to get up.  
"Eh boys. Look what we have here!" Butch exclaimed and pulled the chair away. I fell to the ground and yelped as my chest made contact with the tiles. They all laughed and they went to leave. I reached out for the closest chair. I pulled myself up and used my sleeve to wipe away the blood that stayed underneath my nose.  
"H-he-hey. I'm n-not done with you yet!" I exclaimed. He turned around and stared at me with furious oceans raging in his pupils.  
"Oh, aren't you?" He questioned and raised an eyebrow. He pulled out his switchblade and flicked out the blade. He stalked up to me and grabbed the collar of my suit as he held the knife to my throat.  
"When I'm done with you, more than your nose will be bleedin'!" Butch snarled.

I took a deep breath and forced my muscles to move again as I knocked the blade away from his hand and it clanged onto the floor. We both dove for it and I whacked him in the face as I scrambled for his lucky 'Toothpick'. I almost had it in my hands when Butch pulled me back and crawled up to his weapon. I dug my nails into his lower back and he hissed as I pulled myself onto him and clambered over to the switchblade. He rolled over in an attempt to crush me. I managed to sit up in a crouch and I jumped on him. I punched him in the shoulder blade and clasped my hands around his neck. His weapon was just out of his reach. I manoeuvred my body so that my hands were still on his neck but I was closer to the knife. He coughed and spat as I inched towards his prized blade. I took a deep breath and lunged for the weapon. I held it in my hand and pointed it at him. He stood up and laughed uneasily as I went to poke him with it.  
"Easy nosebleed! You dunno how to use that thing!" He exclaimed with his hands in the air.  
"I know how to use a BB gun. This will be easy!" I said. I smirked and slashed at him. He jumped out of the way just in time and I jumped at him again. He grabbed my arm and punched me. I fell to the ground and the knife tumbled out of my hand. He grabbed it and placed his boot on my stomach. He held the knife toward me with a twisted grin on his face.  
"This'll shut you up, for good." He mused and leant down toward me. The hidden crowd was silent as they waited for the next action.  
"I can't take this! I'm getting James and Officer Gomez!" Amata exclaimed and went to run out. Butch turned around with a hiss.  
"Stop her!" He commanded. I kicked Butch down whilst he was distracted and the Tunnel Snakes ran after Amata as she raced out of the cafeteria. I pounced on the serpent king and we wrestled for possession of the blade. He held it above his head and I tried to reach it as we rolled around the tiles in an attempt to gain the upper hand. He managed to shove me off of him and he pinned me to the ground. His blade was poised at my cheek. I could feel his warm breath on my neck and I closed my eyes. I almost let out a sigh of pleasure. His mouth twisted into an evil smirk and I found myself drowning in his eyes. My spine tingled with fear and my heart was beating faster than it ever had before. That's what I love about a fight. The feeling of hopelessness when he has me beaten.  
"I'll enjoy drawin' your blood, Rory." He said and licked his teeth.  
"I think I'll enjoy it more than you, sweet serpent..." I whispered quietly. I then realised what I had said and I felt my cheeks glow red. He looked at me with a confused expression and a raised eyebrow. I cleared my throat and he shook his head.  
"What did you say?" He asked.  
"Nothing, Butch." I replied. He shrugged and slowly traced the tip of his blade down to my throat. He cut the material away from my neck and held it close to my flesh. The doors burst open and Amata ran in with Officer Gomez and dad. Officer Gomez pulled Butch off of me and disarmed him as dad helped me off of the floor.  
"No more games, DeLoria. We're going to sort this out, now!" Officer Gomez exclaimed as Butch rolled his eyes at him.  
"Thanks Amata. Aurora, you're coming with me." Dad said and led me away.

Dad dragged me back to the clinic where he sat me down in his office chair. I looked up at him and frowned.  
"Dad, I-"  
"Aurora Rose Dangerfield, you are in so much trouble! Starting a fight with the leader of a gang? What were you thinking?" He questioned and crossed his arms.  
"I could've beaten him dad. I didn't need your help." I answered.  
"You were pinned to the ground with a knife at your throat! Butch could've easily killed you!" Dad exclaimed. I sighed and stared at the ground.  
"There's... something wrong with me dad." I replied. He walked over and sat down on the desk.  
"There's nothing wrong with you, sweetie. You're doing well in school. You just need to stay out of trouble and get along better with others." He said and patted my shoulder. I could feel the tears I held back before brimming at the edge of my eyes.  
"It's just that, I-I get myself into trouble in order to feel... alive. Otherwise I'm just a shadow. I don't want to be an empty shell. I feel like I'm fading, like I don't exist. No one understands the loneliness that comes with being empty. I feel like I have nothing to live for. Sometimes the air feels as cold as death and I need the heat of a fight to pull me out my void of despair. I need to feel the rush or I feel... dead." I replied and stared at the ground. That wasn't the only reason, but it mostly contributed to my impulse to start a fight with him.  
"That can't be the reason." He said. I looked up and saw that he had a knowing smile on his face. He knew me too well. I sighed and placed my hands on my knees.  
"I like Butch. I may have even fallen in love with him. There, I said it." I replied. He sighed and placed his hand on my shoulder.  
"Look sweetheart, I know that love is difficult at first, that's what crushes are for. Practice." Dad replied.  
"Dad, it's not a crush. My first crush was Freddie when I was ten. I know what love is. I know how it feels. I know how to pour my heart out to somebody on request. I know what it feels like to have your heart bleeding on the floor. I know. I also know that unrequited love is the one that tears you up inside." I replied. He crossed his arms and stared at me.  
"It's sweet that you like him. But there are other ways to get his attention." Dad said with a warm smile.  
"I walk around like a stripper?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Dad chuckled and shook his head.  
"No. Maybe you could write him a poem, offer to do his homework or maybe just tell him?" Dad suggested. I sighed and shook my head.  
"He's not that kind of guy. He'd shoot me down in a heartbeat or make fun of me." I replied with a smile devoid of hope.  
"Well, he is dangerous. I'm sure you know that by now. Especially with what happened today. I want you to stay away from him for a while until this whole fight cools down." Dad said. I nodded and folded my hands in my lap.  
"Yes dad." I whispered.  
"Good. But you did get into trouble, so you're going to have to help me in the clinic for the rest of the day as punishment." Dad said and got off the table. I stood up and followed him into the waiting room.

* * *

It was late when everything was pretty much finished and the corridors were empty. Dad was busy typing away on his computer. I sat on the desk and counted the lights on the ceiling. There weren't many. Only three. I stared at the embroidery of mom's favourite quote. Was she pretty? Was she kind? How did they meet? Was it love at first sight? Did she want to have me? I stared up at the ceiling again and sighed. I looked at dad and then I turned my head away to stare at the ground. Why did I have to be the weird one? I got off of the desk and leaned against the front with my arms around my knees. A dark cloud of loneliness hung itself above my head and rained its despair down on me. I laid on the floor and felt the chill of the metal prickle my flesh from inside my suit. Loneliness still rained down on my and my spine tingled. I sighed and traced my fingers around in circles on the metal floor. I hummed a lullaby I remembered dad singing to me when I was young.

"You still like that song?" He asked. I could hear the smile in his words. I ceased to hum and smiled as well.  
"Yeah, I do. It's calming." I replied. I stood up and leant against the desk.  
"It was the song that played on the radio the moment we met." Dad said.  
"That's beautiful." I replied and walked over to him. I gave him a hug and he chuckled.  
"You can go home, just try and stay away from the Tunnel Snakes. I'll be home in two hours or so." Dad said and let me go.  
"Thanks dad." I replied and wandered back towards our apartment.

As if it was a way to ambush me, the Tunnel Snakes were standing around near the clinic. I sighed and crossed my arms as I continued walking. I know that Butch saw me, because the moment I walked past, he and his goons were trailing me. I stopped and turned around. I glared at them with an unamused expression.  
"What do you want, DeLoria?" I asked with a huff. He chuckled and snorted. I had to stifle a laugh. His laugh was just hilariously dopey.  
"Just makin' sure that lil' Rory got home safe." He replied with a smirk. His goon squad then laughed. I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips.  
"No. I don't think that's the reason. I think the reason you are here to entertain me. Go ahead, sing for me barber." I said and playfully bit my tongue.  
"What?" He questioned. I giggled and crossed my arms again.  
"The stereotypical barber has musical talent. If you are supposed to be a barber, prove it." I answered with a grin. He frowned and put his hands in his pockets. He stayed silent for a minute or so and I laughed.  
"I guess you are a hairdresser then." I said with a shrug.  
"At least I won't be a grumpy old spinster who helps married couples out with their problems." He replied and his small herd laughed with him.  
"Well if you boys are all the girls have to choose from, I'd rather live to be a lonely old woman." I said and raised an eyebrow. Butch went to retaliate, but he couldn't think of anything good and snappy.  
"Fuck you Dangerfield." He replied. They all looked at me with disdain and I chortled as a mockery to DeLoria's laugh as I blew a kiss to them and turned to walk away. I knew that I had won that round. Sometimes, you just have to lose somewhere, in order to win somewhere else. I was brain, Butch was brawn. I headed home and shut the door behind me. I laid my head down on my pillow and smiled at my minor victory. I closed my eyes and let myself drift into happy thoughts about how to stump the Tunnel Snakes next time before I fell asleep.


	2. Escape from the Vault

_Three years later_

* * *

I opened my eyes groggily as Amata shook me awake.  
"Wake up! You have to wake up!" She exclaimed. She let go of me as I stretched and stood up. I rubbed my eyes and groaned.  
"What is it?" I asked with a yawn.  
"My father's men are coming for you!" She replied. I could see tears in her eyes and she was trembling.  
"All I did was put a cherry bomb in Butch's pillow." I said with a shrug. She looked at me with confusion.  
"Wait, you what?" She asked.  
"Yesterday he teased you, so last night I stuck a cherry bomb in his pillow." I replied. She shook her head at me.  
"That's not what they're coming for! They killed Jonas!" She exclaimed. My heart almost broke as she said those last three words.  
"They killed Jonas?" I asked and hugged myself.  
"I-I'm sorry you had to find out like this. But they're after you now. You have to escape!" She said.  
"Why are they doing this?" I asked.  
"Your dad left the vault. I thought you and your dad were close. Didn't you know?" She questioned in reply. That was a rough blow for me. Hearing about Jonas's death damn near gave me a heart attack, but dad abandoning me? That almost killed me.  
"No. He never told me." I answered and tried to fight back tears. I felt like the dark void that I was closing up had now just expanded and there was no way it would close again.  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She replied. I knelt down and pulled out the backpack that dad had given me. I pulled my notebook out from underneath the mattress and stuffed it in. I headed to my desk and put the BBs and the gun into my bag along with my pen. I took my extra suits and put my hat on my head. I cleared out the medicine cabinet and picked up my baseball bat. I found my bobby pins on the desk and I pocketed them.  
"What are you doing?" She asked.  
"Leaving." I replied and went to walk out. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back.  
"But you won't get out without my help. My father is not himself. He has the place in lockdown. I have a plan." Amata said. I put the bag down and crossed my arms.  
"I'm listening." I replied.  
"Here's the keys to my father's office. If you can hack into his computer, you will be able to open a secret tunnel that leads to the vault door." She said and handed me the keys. I put them in the front pocket of my bag and slung it over my back.  
"Oh and one more thing. Here. Take my father's gun. I stole it from his office. Please only use it as a last resort." Amata said and gave me the gun. I clipped its holster to the my belt and put the ammo in my pocket.  
"I'll try to. Just make sure that you get out safe. Take the bat. Better having some weapon than none at all. Would you meet me at the door?" I asked and handed her the bat. She took it and gripped it tightly.  
"I'll do my best, Aurora. Be careful." She replied and ran out of the apartment.

I leant against the wall and closed my eyes for a moment. I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the butt of the gun. I needed to calm down. I wouldn't be able to shoot whilst blinded by tears. I opened my eyes and took out the gun. I checked to see if it was loaded and I was relieved to find that it was. I held it firmly and stalked out of the room.  
"There she is!" A voice shouted. I turned around quickly and held the gun out in front of me, my finger poised on the trigger.  
"Damn roaches!" He exclaimed and began batting at the radroaches as they attacked him. I walked forward cautiously and still aimed for his head. He managed to kill all of the roaches and then he turned to me.  
"You won't get away!" He exclaimed and charged at me. I held my ground and squeezed the trigger. I smiled to myself as the bullet hit him in the jaw. He went to swing at me, but I jumped out of the way and shot at him again. He fell to the ground and I put the gun away. I didn't know that I was capable of shooting someone with a smile on my face. I was right all those years, something is wrong with me. Very wrong. I've always had an obsession with death, but now I've actually taken a life. Crimson liquid was splattered on the grey steel underneath my feet. It was an ornate frame for the corpse whose warmth slowly drained away. The blood twinkled in the luminescent lights. They looked like liquid rubies. I shook my head and continued to head down the corridor.

It wasn't long before I heard footsteps resonate through the halls. I gripped gun and continued with caution. Suddenly, Butch rounded the corner and stopped before me with fear disrupting his perfectly blue eyes.  
"You've got to help me Aurora! It's my mom! She's being attacked by radroaches! Please, help her! I know that I was never nice to you and that I almost killed you after the G.O.A.T., but you know that I never meant it right?" He asked with a hopeful smile.  
"Hmm... I dunno. I don't think you've convinced me." I chuckled.  
"Please, I want you to help me! Please help my mom!" He exclaimed. I scoffed and put my hands on my hips.  
"Well, well. I wish you knew what 'ironic' meant. Because it applies to this right situation now." I replied with a grin. He sighed and glared at me.  
"Yeah, yeah. So I'm asking you for help. Big whoop." He said with a shrug.  
"Why can't you do it? You're the big bad serpent king of the baddest gang in Vault 101!" I exclaimed with a smug smile.  
"I hate radroaches, they just creep me out. Please? I'm begging you. Please save my mom!" He said. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.  
"C'mon princess Butch. Let's save your mom." I replied.  
"Thank you! You're the best!" He exclaimed and led me to his apartment. He stayed at the entrance and I wandered over to the bedrooms. I could hear the roaches' squeals and her cries of pain. I opened the door and found her cowering on the floor. I pulled out the gun and killed the radroaches easily. She got up and walked away without even saying thanks. I shrugged and placed the gun back in its holster. Butch ran in seconds later with a big smile on his face.  
"We did it! My mom's gonna be okay! I can't thank you enough! Here, take my jacket." He said and unzipped his jacket. He pulled it off of his shoulders and handed it to me. I took it and smiled. I put it in my bag and slapped his arm lightly.  
"I'm glad your mom's going to be ok. Take care of yourself and your mom, will you?" I asked.  
"Yeah, yeah." He said and nodded half-heartedly. I huffed and shook my head.  
"I mean it, Butch." I said and glared at him sternly. He smirked and nodded.  
"Alright." He replied.  
"Goodbye DeLoria." I said.  
"Bye Dangerfield." He replied. I placed my hand on the butt of the gun as I headed into the hallway again.

I crept through the halls and eventually came to the clinic. Andy was at the entrance, using his flamer to burn the bugs to a crisp. I wandered around to the entrance where Stanley came out of hiding to make some repairs to the robot. I crept into dad's office and looked up at the wall. Sure enough, the embroidery was still there. I could feel an aura of loneliness emanating from it. I could practically hear dad's voice reading the quote out to me as I stood there, staring at it.  
"There's no way I'd leave you here alone. It's lonely enough as it is without dad. Come here, little frame, you're coming with me." I whispered and I reached for it. I unhooked it from its perch on the metal. I held the frame in my hands and closed my eyes. I wrapped it in Butch's jacket and packed it in my bag before I slung it over my shoulder and walked out.  
"Aurora!" A voice exclaimed. I jumped in shock as my began to heart race. I turned around and sighed with relief when I saw Officer Gomez standing there next to me. He looked a little battered, but other than that, he was completely fine.  
"Officer Gomez! I'm so happy to see you!" I said.  
"Thank goodness it was me that found you and no one else! They would've killed you on the spot!" He replied.  
"I-"  
"You haven't got much time. Go before someone else finds you!" He exclaimed and pointed towards the office.  
"Thank you. Goodbye!" I said as I turned and jogged down the metal corridor.

Once I got to the upper level, I pulled out my gun and gripped it tightly. I ran past the radroaches and came across a room. I looked into the window and I saw Officer Mack smack Amata with his baton. I reloaded my gun and clicked the switch. The door flung open and I jumped in and took aim at the guard's neck. I squeezed the trigger twice and then he fell to the ground. Amata bolted out of the door and I leant on my hip and blew across the tip of the gun. The Overseer stood there, scowling at me. I smirked and stepped towards him. He took a step back and held his hands out in front of him. I put the gun away and he lowered his arms.  
"I hope you are here to turn yourself in, young lady." He said sternly. I scoffed and placed my hands on my hips.  
"In your dreams, you bloodlusting demon!" I hissed.  
"You and your troublesome father have cause enough damage to this vault. Turn yourself in and I will spare your life." He replied. Rage boiled under my skin.  
"You didn't spare Jonas. He didn't do anything wrong. He was an unfortunate victim of your tyrannical rule. I'm not here to turn myself in. And you're lucky that you're Amata's father, or your brains will decorate the wall behind you." I growled and ran my tongue across my canines.  
"Guards! Guards help me! She's here!" He exclaimed. I pulled out my gun and poised it at his forehead. I smirked as fear bubbled up in his eyes.  
"Listen here, Overseer! You may get away with it this time, but I'll be back. I don't care if I have to become a wraith in order to exact revenge for Jonas but I will stop at nothing until your blood is added to the splotches already on my hands." I snarled and stepped towards Mack's body. I whipped the cap off my head and ran the fabric over the man's wounds. I threw the hat at him and chuckled evilly.  
"That is token of my promise. If it's not fulfilled before you die, may Satan himself rip me from this world and turn me into his demon so I can drag you to hell and torture you myself!" I exclaimed and turned sharply before marching out of the door. His face when I threw the hat at him was priceless.

I kept moving and stopped dead as I saw Jonas dead on the ground with his own blood staining his once pristine lab coat. My heart sunk and my chest tightened. I fell to the ground before his corpse as tears welled in my eyes.  
"Jonas... Why did it have to be you? Why?" I asked with a sob.  
"Halt!" A voice commanded. I whipped out the gun and pointed it up at Chief Hannon's chin. I squeezed the trigger and growled as he dropped to the floor as a lifeless body.  
"You bastard!" I hissed as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks and I put my gun away. I turned back to Jonas and I placed my hand on his chest. My heart ached to know that his didn't beat anymore. I moved his jacket away from his chest and closed my eyes. Tears fell like waterfalls as I tired to suppress my sobs. I opened my eyes to find a holotape in his coat's pocket. I pulled it out and looked at it. It had my name on it. I had a feeling that it was from dad. I put it in my bag so I could listen to it when I wasn't being hunted down.  
"They can't do anything more to you. Rest in peace, Jonas." I said and stood up. I wife's my tears away and sniffed as I tried to compose myself. I could hear sobbing. I walked closer to the sound and I saw that it was Amata who was sitting at a table.  
"Thank you! I told you my father was not himself!" Amata exclaimed.  
"And I might have threatened his life." I replied with an uneasy smile. She sniffed and looked up at me.  
"Did you hurt him?!" She asked. I shook my head.  
"He's damn lucky that you're his daughter, I'll tell you that. He's unscathed, but he may be... fearing for his life." I replied with a shrug. Amata sighed.  
"You've changed in the span of thirty minutes. I had no idea someone could do that." Amata said. I laughed and put my hands on my hips.  
"I've always been this way. Only dad and Jonas knew it. Everyone else just become used to my troublesome facade. A decoy to distract them from the darkness underneath me." I said.  
"That explains the darkness of your writing style." Amata replied with a smirk.  
"I have to go. If I stay too long, I'll be killed. Like I said, the Overseer isn't too fond of me at the moment." I said.  
"I'll try to meet you there. Good luck." She replied.  
"You too." I said and then walked towards the Overseer's office. I pulled out the keys and unlocked the door. It opened and I smirked.

I wandered over to the terminal and the password screen came up. The only hint I had to work with was that it was a five lettered word. I thought of the things that the Overseer might be interested in. Death, denied. Power, denied. I looked up from the screen and looked around. I shook my head and got back to hacking the system. I had two attempts left otherwise I'm officially screwed. Think, Dangerfield... Amata once told me that he liked cake and often pinched some from storage every now and again. Cakes, denied. I huffed and brushed my hair behind my ears. I'm officially screwed. I tapped the plastic edge of the screen while I thought. Well, if I don't get this right, it's over. I keyed in my last attempt and hoped for the best. Amata, correct. I sighed with relief and opened the secret tunnel. I looked away from the computer to see the desk lift itself up from the ground and reveal a staircase. I headed down the stairs and came to a large concrete door. I pressed a button and it left. I wandered through and eventually I came to the vault door. I pulled a lever and sirens went off as orange lights flickered on and off. Amata ran through as the door was being opened.  
"You did it! You opened the door!" She exclaimed and pointed to the door. It was fully opened now.  
"I couldn't have done this without you. Thanks." I said. He chuckled and shook her head.  
"No, you could've done this without me." She replied.  
"Come with me. You'd be safer with me than here with your nut job dad." I said. She laughed and shook her head.  
"No, the vault needs me. You can handle yourself, you've proved it. Go. The guards will be here soon." She said.  
"Goodbye Amata." I whispered and pulled her into a hug.  
"Goodbye and good luck." She replied and let me go. There was shouting coming from the other side of the door. I nodded to her and she stood at the controls. I ran out the door and she caused the sirens and lights to go off again. I stepped back and the vault door closed.

I sat down by the outside controls and looked around. It was dark and smelt rank. I pulled out the holotape and played it. It was from dad. My chest tightened and my eyes began to water. As he began to speak, I found myself sobbing loudly as tears rushed down my face. I wasn't entirely focused on his words, but to at least hear his voice was some sort of comfort. My heart ached as he told me he loved me. Even though he was gone for a few hours, it felt like a lifetime. I put the holotape away and wiped my eyes. I had to find him. And I would do so, no matter what I would have to do, I would do it. I just want my dad back. I stood up and walked out of the tunnel. I opened the door and squeezed my eyes shut as the light almost blinded me. I let my eyes adjust and I stared out at the view. This was the start of something new and something dark. I walked down the slope and went to try and find some clues about dad.


	3. Megaton

I wandered through the yellowed landscape and stared at the wrecked and greyed houses lining the street. The emptiness of the surroundings tore through my body and caused my mind to drop into a shallow hole of depression. I wondered what life was like two hundred years ago, before this war broke out. I kicked the rusted tin cans along the ground as I walked. It gave me something else to focus on than the despair and sorrow of the destroyed neighbourhood. My mind created the laughter of innocent children as I looked back at the playground. They didn't do anything wrong. They didn't deserve to die in a nuclear holocaust. No one did. I sighed and kicked the can away as I continued walking. I came to a vending machine and I checked it for any drinks. Luckily enough, there was three. I put them in my bag and continued on my way. I walked up the slope and came across an iron sign pointing towards a town named 'Megaton'. I followed the sign and found a town surrounded by a wall of browned scrap iron. Two shoots of flame spurted out from the top and the engine at the top caused the gate to open. I pushed open the doors and walked inside.

The town was made out of scrap but it was quaint. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, it was cosy and it was easy to tell that these people were almost like a family. A man with a cowboy hat and a golden star badge on his chest walked up to me.  
"I'll be damned, you're from that vault, Vault 101. I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long time. Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises." He said. I smiled at him and chuckled a little.  
"Hi. I'm Aurora. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said.  
"Friendly and well mannered. Just know that if you cause any trouble here, you will have me to answer to." He warned.  
"Message received." I replied with a nod.  
"Just so long as we understand each other. This here is my town. These are my people. You so much as breathe wrong, and I'm gonna fuckin' end ya." He said.  
"I completely understand, sheriff. Your town, your rules." I replied.  
"Good, well then welcome to Megaton." He said.  
"Thank you sheriff." I replied. He nodded and then turned around and went back to his business. He seemed nice. It was very admirable to see someone so committed to protecting people. I walked down the slope and stopped before what seemed to be an atomic bomb. What are people doing living near a live bomb? I shook my head and dismissed my thoughts. Outside the shack named the 'Clinic' there was a signpost. There were two places on there that interested me, the 'Craterside Supply' and 'Moriarty's Saloon'. I headed up the ramp and I came across a rather large shack that was indeed the Craterside Supply.

I opened the door to find a woman in a worn blue jumpsuit sweeping the floor. Her fiery red hair was scooped up in a messy bun. She leant her broom against the counter and dusted her hands. She looked up and once she saw me, a wide smile broke out onto her face. She wandered behind the counter. There was an armoured vault suit with '101' in yellow print on the back hanging on the wall.  
"Are you one of those vault runaways? It been a while since we've had one of you around." She asked. She had an extremely bubbly personality.  
"Yeah I am. I didn't know there was more that escaped than dad and I." I replied.  
"Every few years someone crawls up from out of there. Well it's great to meet you, I'm Moira Brown and I run the Craterside Supply." She said.  
"I'm Aurora Dangerfield." I said and waved.  
"I'm writing a book and I would be good if you could help me out with the foreword." She said.  
"What kind?" I questioned.  
"Well, the Wasteland is a very dangerous place and a collection of tips and tricks would be useful! So I'm writing a 'Wasteland Survival Guide'." She answered.  
"That's an awesome idea! Sure, I'd love to help." I said. She squeezed her eyes shut and smiled as she jumped up and down. She seemed like a great person to be friends with, so I decided to be nice to her.  
"That's great! Ok, what was life like in the vault?" She asked.  
"This 'Wasteland' place is amazing! It's so open and eerily beautiful. It's better than anything I've ever read about or imagined. And finally, light with heat! I swear if I spent another day staring at those same grey walls, I would've gone insane!" I replied. Moira laughed and nodded.  
"Hey, that would be a great foreword. Open with a joke and all. Thanks Aurora. Here, take this suit, I think you might need it." She said and took the modified vault suit down from the wall and folded it up before she handed it to me. I put my bag down and put the suit into the bag before I slung it over my shoulders.  
"Why would I need it?" I asked.  
"I was hoping that you'd be my research assistant. I need someone to test my theories." Moira replied. The man leaning against the wall scoffed and we turned to look at him.  
"Yeah, the last time she sent someone off to do some 'testing' they never came back. We found out that they had been used as food for the muties." He said and crossed his arms. Moira came out from behind her counter and she put her hands on her hips.  
"I thought for sure that I had the formula right, okay?" She asked. He only laughed and shook his head.  
"Uh, what are muties?" I questioned.  
"Super Mutants. The biggest and nastiest creatures in the Wasteland. Except for those damned Deathclaws." He answered.  
"Oh, don't mind him. He's just being difficult. So, will you help me?" She asked.  
"Sure, why not? I mean, it could be fun." I said.  
"Great! So for the first chapter I need to write about disarming landlines, where to scavenge for food and homemade remedies for radiation sickness. So, what one do you want to try first?" She asked.  
"I might go for the scavenging first up." I replied.  
"There's an old Super Duper Mart just northeast of here. See if you can get some food and try to find some medical supplies. Food is a priority." Moira said.  
"I'll head over there and see what I can find." I said with a nod.  
"That's the spirit! Stay safe!" She exclaimed and waved as I left the shop.

I wandered up the ramp and eventually came to Moriarty's Saloon. I opened the door and I pursed my lips at the state of the place. It smelt of alcohol, sweat and despair. The saloon was extremely dirty. Three people were gathered around the radio and talking. I wasn't paying attention to their conversation and sat at the counter. The atmosphere felt a lot like that of the vault. Dark, depressing, sickly and angry. At least, that's what it reminded me of. I sighed as mind began to wander. The first thing that came to my mind was blood. The liquid rubies that sparkled on the floor of the vault. The life force of my first kill. The smell and the sight of the crimson liquid brought back that smirk I had when I took his life. I could feel that sense of power and control bubble up inside myself.  
"Hey, smoothskin." A man behind the bar that has grotesque skin said. I shook my head to clear my mind of those thoughts.  
"Can I get you anythin'?" He asked.  
"Not at the moment, thank you." I replied with a smile. I didn't want to seem rude. Dad always told me to make a good first impression.  
"Wait... you're not going to hit me? Yell at me? Not even berate me a little bit?" He questioned.  
"I wouldn't dream of doing so." I answered. It didn't make sense to hurt somebody so sweet. I mean, as far I as knew he didn't hurt anybody and he most certainly wasn't hurting me, so why would I hurt him?  
"Well now. That's a surprise! I'm used to every asshole smoothskin in this town giving me shit just because I look like a corpse." He said and smiled weakly.  
"Listen... Moriarty'd have my head if he caught me selling at a discount, but for you, I'll risk it." He said with a whisper.  
"Thank you. May I have your name?" I asked.  
"The name's Gob." He replied.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aurora." I said.  
"You're the one of the first decent smoothskins to come to Megaton. There was a man who looked a little like you who wore that same suit. Really nice guy. Shame he had to leave so quickly." Gob said and picked up a glass.  
"Where did he go?" I asked almost immediately. He shook his head as he began to polish it.  
"I can't tell you anythin' or Moriarty'd gut me. Sorry kid." He replied.  
"Look, I'm desperate for information about my dad's whereabouts. If you can spare anything at all, I would be grateful." I said.  
"I can't tell you anythin'. I'm gonna get in-"  
"Please, Gob! This is my dad we're talking about! Please! I just need to know where he is!" I exclaimed. He sighed and put the glass down on the counter.  
"Nova!" He called. The woman leaning against the wall came up to the counter and sighed.  
"Where's the boss?" Gob asked.  
"Outside smoking his daily fag." The woman named Nova replied.  
"Thanks." He said with a nod and she wandered back over to her post.  
"I overheard him asking Moriarty for directions to the Galaxy News Radio station. You didn't hear it from me." He whispered and picked up the glass again.  
"Where is it?" I asked quietly.  
"It's near Chevy Chase in D.C.. Take the underground train stations to get there. The place is in shambles and crawling with Super Mutants. You'd be damn lucky to survive." He replied.  
"Thank you." I said with a smile.  
"You're welcome." He replied and put the glass down as he picked another up.  
"Do you mind if I ask what the currency is out here?" I asked. I had a funny feeli that it wasn't pre-war money.  
"Caps." He said with a nod.  
"Caps?" I questioned,  
"That's right. The ones from the Nuka-Cola bottles. We use that for barter." Gob replied.  
"Thanks again." I said.  
"Hey, you need to know these things." Gob replied.  
"I'll let you get back to work, Gob." I said.  
"Feel free to talk to me anytime." He replied.  
"I will." I said. I sat there and stared at the ceiling as I thought about the information Gob had just given me. I sighed and clasped my hands together. I pulled out my notebook and penciled in the details on the inside of the back cover. I then shut it and put it away.

A hardened man sat down next to me. He took one look at me and huffed with disgust.  
"Oh great, a pampered vault asshole." He said under his breath. I scoffed and crossed my arms.  
"Excuse me?" I asked. He looked me up and down before frowning.  
"What do you want?" He spat.  
"I want to know what you called me." I replied with a scowl. He chuckled and smirked.  
"A. Pampered. Vault. Asshole." He said.  
"You don't know what lurks beneath my facade." I replied with a cocked eyebrow and a confident smile.  
"Can't be worse than what I've worked with. Go home to your mommy." He hissed and glared at the bartender.  
"My mother's dead." I said darkly.  
"Hey, zombie. Get your ass here with a bottle of whiskey." He commanded. Gob nodded and brought the bottle over. The man next to me dropped the payment in his hand and snarled.  
"Beat it, you fucking freak or I'll smack you one." He said and Gob slunk away from the bar. I looked at him with my mouth open with disgust.  
"Who are you to treat him like that? The freaking Overseer?!" I hissed. He slammed his drink onto the counter and snapped his head around to face me.  
"What did you say?" He questioned.  
"Don't you dare treat Gob like that again." I replied with a scowl.  
"Aurora! Don't!" Gob whispered and shook his head.  
"The ghoul's right kid." Nova added and took a puff of her cigarette. The man chuckled at her response.  
"As I said, go back to your vault, asshole." He said and took a swig from his drink. I laughed and shook my head.  
"There's nothing more satisfying than fresh blood on your hands. I'd hate for the next droplets to be yours." I replied with a smirk. Nova and Gob exchanged looks as he chuckled.  
"So, we got us a wannabe bad ass, eh?" He asked and crossed his arms.  
"And I just met myself my first jerk face outside the vault. Exciting day for both of us." I said.  
"Sarcasm only gets you so far." He replied.  
"I know that. It's enough to set off the bastards in the vault though." I said with a grin.  
"How many have you killed?" He asked. Gob and Nova stared at me and waited for my answer.  
"Three and promised the death of a fourth." I replied.  
"Who's the fourth?" He questioned.  
"The Overseer." I answered with a smile.  
"Did you like killing them?" He asked.  
"I did." I replied with a nod. He laughed and took another sip of his beverage.  
"What about you?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow.  
"Former Raider." He replied.  
"And that is?" I questioned.  
"Let's just say that a Raider's favourite past times are torture, murder and mutilation." He answered with a smirk.  
"Nice!" I exclaimed with a nod.  
"You're ok, girl. I'm Jericho." He said.  
"You're pretty good yourself. I'm Aurora." I replied.  
"See you round, Jericho." I said and shook his hand.  
"Bye Gob! I'll talk to you when I get back!" I exclaimed and waved at him. I then turned around and left the saloon.

The sun best down on me and I smiled. I loved the feeling of heat against my flesh. It felt good. I headed down the ramp and left the town. I stood at the entrance and mulled over what I was going to do now. Helping Moira or finding dad? I really wanted to find dad, but I doubt that I would make it through D.C. alive without proper weaponry and a lot of medical supplies. I sighed and switched to my Pipboy's map. Super Duper Mart it is.


End file.
